How traveling inspired me to embrace myself

Traveling to me is more than just sceneries, food, and people I've met; it's about the inner journey I need to go through, the adventures that makes me become more self-aware. All of these make traveling a story to tell that empowers people. 

I am more brave than what I think | Thessaloniki - Sofia

In summer 2018, I traveled to Bulgaria with a group of friends. We took the morning train leaving from Thessaloniki to Sofia in Bulgaria. The train station, however, was a bit messed up because of strikes, we had to switch to a shuttle bus nearby. It took us a bit time to find out which bus was the right bus, because of language barrier and they didn't have a universal system to manage shuttle bus under different companies. While we were all desperately wandering in the train station, I noticed a group of asian people, looking like professional long-distance bikers because of their outfits. I somehow had courage to walk towards them and started a conversation. Turns out they are a biking club leaving to Sofia with shuttle bus! I quickly gathered all my other friends, and that's how we made it to the right bus 5 minutes before it left. 

As we got on the bus after all the hustles, we felt much relieved and looked forward to our trip in Sofia. 3 hours later, our bus stopped at the border of Greece. The border guard entered our bus, asking to check everyone of our passport. I opened up my backpack and looked for that specific pocket where I always put my important documents:

 My passport wasn't there. 

I am more capable than what I think | Sofia - Thessaloniki - Sofia

When the border guard asked me where is my passport, I said I left it in my room but I do have photocopy and pictures of it. Border guard refused as he had to see the actual passport in front of him to be able to pass the border. At that moment, I realized being panic is the least thing that could help me, and all I needed to consider was my action plan afterwards: how can I go back to the city from the middle of nowhere, how can I go to Sofia afterwards, and how can I keep up the communication with my friends once I arrive in Sofia (luckily one of us did have data plan to use in Bulgaria) .

I got off the bus and watched it leave me behind. Standing at the border of Greece, I knew I had nothing but myself, and I had to try my very best for everything that is going to happen next.

I asked around the staff working at the border about what I should do, since I was just a tourist here in Thessaloniki and I didn't know Greek. One thing I learnt about Greece was that, not everyone can speak English. But I was lucky enough to find a senior chief who was able to understand English. He told me in next hour there should be a bus going to Thessaloniki from Sofia that would stop at the border, and he could help me to talk to the driver as long as I could pay the ticket. In case the bus arrived at a different station in Thessaloniki, I asked him to write down the station name for me.

After an hour waiting at the border by myself, I got on the bus and another 3 hors later I arrived at a bus transit station -- where I never knew before -- I rushed to the ticket counter to make sure there were ways for me to go to Sofia in the rest of the day. I bought the ticket for next bus which was leaving in an hour, and I managed to go back to my place, got my passport, and came back to catch the bus on time.

When I finally arrive in Sofia it was around the night. I thought the bus station in Sofia would have wifi, and that was my second lesson: never assume the bus station in Sofia is the same like Greyhound station in Canada. I walked around on the street, trying to find any hotels or telecom operator store which possibly could have public wifi. There was a moment when an unkind stranger tried to talk to me and kept following me on the way, and I got very scared. I pulled out my phone and pretended I was talking to my friend. Maybe because I looked like I knew what I was doing, so few minutes later he left. 

I finally managed to connect to a public wifi and contacted my friend. After all the struggles, at the end I was very grateful and proud that I managed to reunite with my group. Because of all the challenges that put myself into the inner journey of finding solutions, I had an amazing adventure in the rest of trip in Bulgaria. Interested to know what happened next? Go check out my instagram post to find out the second part of my Bulgaria trip.